Pope Francis joined hundreds of thousands of the faithful Sunday for the last and biggest event of his joyful, six-day U.S. visit — a Mass on Philadelphia's grandest boulevard — after meeting with victims of the church sex abuse scandal and offering words of hope to jail inmates.

Riding through the streets in his open-sided popemobile, the pontiff waved to cheering, screaming, flag-waving crowds as his made his way toward the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It was the final event on his itinerary before the 78-year-old pontiff was to return to Rome.

Organizers estimated about 860,000 attended. There were fears that the unprecedented security, including airport-style bag searches, crowd-control cattle chutes and blocked-off streets, scared many people away.

Earlier in the day, in a gesture of reconciliation, he met with victims of child sexual abuse and told them he is "deeply sorry" for the times they came forward to tell their story and weren't believed. He assured them that he believes them and that bishops will be called to account for what they did.

Pope Francis blesses babies from popemobil

Liturgical music during Pope Francis Mass

Pope Francis full homily

Communion during Mass in Philadelphia

World Meeting of Families closing

Boy talks about singing for Pope Francis

"I pledge to you that we will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead," Francis said in Spanish. "Clergy and bishops will be held accountable when they abuse or fail to protect children."

Them, he went into a meeting with American bishops in town for a Catholic festival on the family and told them the same thing face-to-face.

"God weeps" over what was done to the youngsters, he said.

SEX ABUSE: Pope met with abuse survivors, but more action is critical, activists say

Francis' journey also took him to Washington and New York. Along the way, he drew large and adoring crowds, met with President Barack Obama, visited ground zero and addressed Congress and the United Nations, calling for urgent action on climate change and poverty.

The meeting on Sunday with victims of sexual abuse was the second one Francis has held. He received some at the Vatican in July 2014.

But in an apparent effort by the church to reshape the discussion, the Vatican said not all five of the victims on Sunday were abused by members of the clergy; some of the three women and two men had been victimized by relatives or educators.

Victim support groups were unimpressed by the meeting.

The main victims' support group, SNAP, dismissed it as an exercise in public relations.

"Is a child anywhere on Earth safer now that a pope, for maybe the seventh or eighth time or ninth time, has briefly chatted with abuse victims? No," said SNAP's David Clohessy.

KISSING BABIES: Mom claims Pope Francis 'miracle'

The Rev. Tom Doyle, a canon lawyer who worked at the Vatican embassy in Washington and is now an advocate for victims, said that including more than just victims of abusive clergy "seriously minimizes" the problem in the church.

"We don't think we're going to get any real support to change this from the leadership in the Vatican," Doyle said. "They're having this big meeting of families. But there's been no real room for all the families that the Catholic Church has destroyed through sexual abuse."

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has been hit hard by the scandal and has been the subject of repeated grand jury investigations, including one that accused it of keeping on more than three dozen priests facing serious accusations. A monsignor was found guilty of endangering children by not removing pedophile priests, becoming the first American church official convicted of such an offense.

The pope has agreed to create a new Vatican tribunal to prosecute bishops who failed to protect their flock, and he has accepted the resignations of three U.S. bishops accused of mishandling cases. During the previous meeting with victims, he similarly vowed to hold bishops accountable.

At the same time, Francis and U.S. bishops have also argued that child molestation is a serious problem beyond the church, especially within families and in schools. The meeting with victims abused by people other than priests underscored that point.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the pope met with the victims for more than a half-hour at the St. Charles Borromeo seminary. He said the pope prayed with them, listened to their stories and expressed his closeness in their suffering and his "pain and shame" in the case of those abused by priests.

During the meeting with the bishops, Francis referred to gay marriage for the first time in his U.S. trip, lamenting the new reality in which Christians must live.

But he also urged the bishops to redirect their energy away from complaining about it, saying a church that does nothing but explain its doctrine is "dangerously unbalanced" and "stuck in a vicious circle."

The U.S. bishops have spent considerable time and resources battling gay marriage, calling its legalization by the U.S. Supreme Court three months ago "a tragic error" and "profoundly immoral and unjust."

Later Sunday, Francis visited a Philadelphia jail to give hope of redemption to about 100 inmates, included suspected killers, rapists and mobsters. He greeted the men one by one, telling them to use their time behind bars to get their lives back on track.

"May you make possible new opportunities, new journeys, new paths," he said, standing before a wooden chair the men had made for him for the occasion.

The blue-uniformed inmates, some of them heavily tattooed, seemed moved. They clasped Francis' hands, and two gave him a hug.

The pope has criticized prisons that only punish and humiliate, and he has denounced life sentences and isolation as torture. During his speech to Congress, he called for abolition of the death penalty.

As the hour of Sunday's papal Mass approached, people endured hourslong waits to pass through security checkpoints, and the lines stretched for several blocks.

Sarah and Terrence Williams, both 36, of Williamstown, New Jersey, have been trying for more than a year to have a baby and said they were hoping that attending the Mass might result in a miracle.

"Hopefully he'll drive by and just his acknowledgment will be the blessing we need to get our miracle," Terrence Williams said.

Thomas Coorey, a dentist and father of four visiting Philadelphia from Sydney, called Francis "the most inspirational and amazing pope that could breathe life into this church of mine."

Local 10 News Laurie Jennings, Glenna Milberg, Jacey Birch and Neki Mohan worked on this report. Associated Press Nicole Winfield, Rachel Zoll, Michael R. Sisak, Maryclaire Dale and Kathy Matheson worked on this report.

Follow Local10.com on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

Pope Francis visits North America

Before boarding his flight Sunday, Pope Francis thanked about 400 leaders of the World Meeting of Families, supporters and other volunteers who helped organize his trip to Philadelphia.

My "days with you have been brief but they have been days of great grace for me and, I pray, for you too."

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden were among those at the airport sending Francis off as he prepared to board a plane to depart for Rome.

Francis spoke in English as he thanked church leaders and others in Washington and New York for their work to organize his trip there.

Follow Local10.com reporter Andrea Torres on Twitter @MiamiCrime

The Miami Dolphins had a nightmare home opener against the Buffalo Bills.

Everything that could go wrong for the Dolphins did.

The Bills beat the Dolphins, 41-14.

[WATCH: Fins Flash: Will's take on Dolphins' loss to Bills]

Tyrod Taylor got the scoring started early with a 25-yard touchdown pass to former Dolphins Charles Clay to put the Bills up 7-0.

Taylor struck again later in the first quarter, with a 10-yard touchdown pass to LeSean McCoy.  The Bills were up 14-0.

In the second quarter, Ryan Tannehill was pressured and threw an interception to Preston Brown.  He returned the ball 43-yards for a touchdown.  The Dolphins were down 24-0.

The Dolphins offense came to life in the third quarter.

Ryan Tannehill hit Rishard Matthews for a 21-yard touchdown.  After a 2-point conversion to Jarvin Landry, the Dolphins were down 27-8.

The Bills responded in the 4th quarter.  Taylor hit former Dolphin Chris Hogan for a 38-yard touchdown.  The Bills were up 34-8.

The Dolphins had four chances to score from the 2 yard line in the 4th quarter.  Four straight Tannehill passes scored to fail.

Later in the fourth, Tannehill hit Matthews for a second touchdown.  The connection was 46-yards. 

The Bills answered right away with a Karlos Williams 41-yard touchdown run.  The Bills took a 41-14 lead.

A Miami Dolphins player's wife was arrested Sunday as fans were walking out of Sun Life Stadium following the Dolphins 41-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Miami-Dade police arrested Miko Grimes, 40, after the game. She is the wife of Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes.

Local 10 was there as she bonded out of jail early Monday morning.

 A video posted on Twitter showed Miko Grimes was shouting: "Get off my f**** leg! Are you f***** serious right now?" A male is heard saying, "She tried to walk through."

According to a report, Miko Grimes broke through a barricade of police bicycles and entered a restricted area after disobeying several orders from officials to stop.

Police said Miko Grimes became belligerent, screaming, "F*** you, cops. You can't tell me what to do."

She then started at an officer in an aggressive manner. Miami-Dade police officers pinned her face down on the parking lot's concrete floor.

As Miko Grimes continued being combative, an officer activated a Taser and threatened to use it on her if she did not calm down, at which point she did, police said.

But after being handcuffed, Miko Grimes head-butted a female officer. When police were able to get her into the car to be transported, she continued kicking and swinging her elbows.

When Miko Grimes arrived to the police department, she was treated for injuries to her right arm, knee and forearm.

She is charged with battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest with violence.

Meanwhile, Brent Grimes did not talk to reporters after the game.

Hours earlier on her Instagram, Mike Grimes posted a picture of "Grimey's Corner" tent at the parking lot. A sign read, "Best Corner in the NFL."

ARREST ON YOUTUBE

A police-involved shooting in Northwest Miami-Dade has Interstate 95 shutdown.

Police have confirmed that a man was killed at the scene near  Interstate 95 southbound at NW 125th Street, causing traffic to be diverted. 

Drivers are being detoured off NW 119th St. Alternate routes are US-1, State Road 7 or US-441.

Stay with Local 10 and Local10.com for updates.

With Tuesday marking World Heart Day, click on to find out which of these 17 bad heart habits you may be breaking.

Local10.com is giving you a chance to win a new 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300.

The Local10.com Click, Win and Drive Giveaway began Sept. 28.

Local10.com will be selecting two names each Friday between Oct. 9 and Nov. 6. Ten finalists will then be randomly selected to receive a key that will unlock the car.

The person with the winning key will unlock and turn on that Mercedes-Benz at the Miami International Auto Show.

All you have to do is click on this link and watch the video for your chance to drive away in a shiny new Mercedes-Benz.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett stopped by Local 10 News on Monday, visiting the news station his company acquired last year for the first time.

There was more than just football taking place Monday at the Miami Dolphins Training Facility in Davie.

Inside, WPLG Local 10 owner and billionaire Warren Buffett was challenging Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to an arm-wrestling rematch.

"Did you get a good night's sleep?" Buffett asked Suh as the "Oracle of Omaha" entered the room.

Buffett was looking for a three-peat after winning two previous arm-wrestling matches against the fellow University of Nebraska graduate -- once during a charity event and again during an appearance on CNBC.

Before they could begin, however, Buffett had to get the paperwork out of the way, concerned that Suh, if he got hurt, might sue.

"I, Ndamukong Suh, hereby release Warren Buffett from any claims for physical injury that I may suffer," Buffett read aloud from the disclaimer.

Local 10 News reporter Todd Tongen served as master of ceremonies for the rematch.

It was a struggle, but in the end Buffett, aka "The Bicep," reigned victorious over Suh, aka "The Dominator," once again.

Raw video: Buffett and Suh arm wrestle

"It's a tough loss," Suh told Tongen after Buffett took him down. "I gotta figure out something. I gotta get back in the weight room. I thought I could get in there real quick today and get some extra work in, but it didn't work out."

Buffett was modest in victory.

"He's getting stronger every time," Buffett said. "You know, he's a few years younger than I am. I think my days may be over."

His arm-wrestling days may be behind him, but Buffett might still have a future playing the stock market.

Follow Local 10 Sports on Twitter @Local10Sports

Warren Buffett: The boy from Nebraska turned billoniaire

Donald Trump is vowing to drastically cut income taxes for millions of Americans across the wealth spectrum while casting aside loopholes popular on Wall Street.

"It will provide major tax relief for middle income and for most other Americans. There will be a major tax reduction," Trump said Monday at a press conference at Trump Tower in New York as he unveiled his plan to revamp the tax code. "It'll simplify the tax code, it'll grow the American economy at a level that it hasn't seen for decades."

The highly anticipated tax plan comes as Trump is being pressed to provide more details about how his administration would govern.

He unveiled a provision designed to help families that draw the smallest paychecks. Individuals that make less than $25,000 (and $50,000 for married couples) would pay no income taxes under Trump's plan.

One of the biggest beneficiaries appears to be families that draw the smallest paychecks. Individuals that make less than $25,000 (and $50,000 for married couples) would pay no income taxes under Trump's plan.

"They get a new one page form to send the IRS saying, 'I win,'" reads Trump's tax plan, referring to those households who will pay no federal income taxes.

But many of those families already pay no federal taxes. Roughly 45% of American households will not owe any federal income taxes this year under the existing tax code, according to Tax Policy Center estimates. Trump said his plan will ensure a slightly larger share -- more than 50% of households -- pay no federal income tax.

"Some of what Mr. Trump has done in his press conference is just sell us on one of the better features of what our income tax already does," said Alan Cole, an economist at the Tax Foundation. "It will probably add to the number of people who don't have to pay any income tax. That was already true of many people and he's just expanding the number of people."

Meanwhile, the proposal would also be a boon for the wealthiest Americans like Trump -- the top bracket includes individuals making $150,001 and more and couples making $300,001 and more -- who would pay an income tax rate of 25%. That's a dramatic cut from the current top rate of close to 40%.

The tax cuts for top earners could open Trump up to charges of hypocrisy. The real estate magnate has surged to the top of the polls by touting a populist tone, lamenting that wealthy people like himself should pay more.

Asked at Monday's press conference how his proposal would affect his own tax rate, Trump dodged the question, saying: "We're reducing taxes, but believe me, there will be people in the very upper echelon that won't be thrilled with this."

He also declined to say how much taxes he currently pays, only saying, "I fight like hell to pay as little as possible."

Perhaps the most pressing question that Trump must answer is how he would raise enough revenue to offset his plan's deep tax cuts, though he insisted Monday that his proposal would not add to the country's debt or deficit.

The candidate says he would make up for the difference in a number of ways: killing certain deductions for the rich and creating incentives for U.S. companies to bring back cash currently held overseas, thereby boosting growth at home.

Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center, said Trump's claim that his plan would be revenue neutral was "hard to swallow."

"On the corporate side the tax cut is very large. On the individual side it's very large," Williams said. "There just aren't enough tax breaks out there to make this work."

Trump's tax plan broadly mirrors that of one of his main rivals: Jeb Bush.

Bush's proposal released this month also reduces the number of income tax brackets -- to three from the current seven. The highest tax bracket under the former Florida governor's plan is 28%, and the lowest is 10%. Bush also proposed lowering the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20% -- another popular idea among conservatives. Trump would go even further, lowering the rate to 15%.

Trump's GOP rivals, including Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, have clear objectives for their tax plan. But Trump's is harder to parse, said Republican economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin.

Bush wants to spur growth and make it tougher to game the tax system, while Rubio wants to boost growth and aid families, he said.

As for Trump, "I don't know what he wants," Holtz-Eakin said. "It looks like bits and pieces of other people's plans strung together."

Like Bush, one loophole Trump would target is the preferential treatment for carried interest, which is a share of profits paid to investment managers.

Since launching his White House campaign in June, Trump has made sweeping attacks on hedge fund managers who are paid in carried interest.

Trump, who claims that his personal assets are valued at more than $10 billion, frequently makes the distinction between investors who work in real estate and those on Wall Street. Hedge fund managers, he often says, fall in the category of special interests backing some of his well-connected and best-funded rivals.

"I know them. They all are supporting Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton," Trump told CNN at a campaign stop in Nashville, Tennessee, last month. "They make a lot of money and a lot of it is luck. They pick a stock and all of a sudden they make a lot of money. I want the hedge fund guys to pay more taxes."

Still, the plan might not be too tough on Wall Street. Since Trump's proposal would slash the income tax rate across the board, taxing carried interest as regular income under Trump's plan would mean investors still pay far less than what they would if the carried interest loophole were done away with under the current tax code.

The tax rate of hedge fund managers is a favorite political target for the 2016 presidential candidates.

"We will treat all noninvestment income the same, so unless you stake capital in an investment, you won't be able to claim the capital-gains tax rate on your market gains," Bush's tax proposal said.

It's also popular rallying cry for the Democratic candidates.

Former Secretary of Hillary Clinton has been hitting Wall Street tax breaks since the first days of her campaign, as she's faced pressure from progressive Democrats to embrace a more populist agenda. Antagonism towards Wall Street is a central message of Clinton's rivals like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.

A 28-year-old man is facing multiple charges after pimping at least two women at Miami-area strip clubs, an arrest report said.

Jeffrey Garcia was arrested Saturday on charges of human trafficking, taking proceeds from prostitution and possession of marijuana.

According to police, one of the victims asked employees at a night club for help because she said she was being forced to prostitute herself. Police said she pointed out Garcia, who was in a nearby white Lexus, as the trafficker.

Detectives interviewed both women at a police station and said they told them that Garcia made them walk Northeast 11th Street in Miami to solicit customers for sex. Police said Garcia instructed them to charge $25 for oral sex and $75 for intercourse.

The women also said Garcia made them strip and engage in prostitution at the Diamond Dolls strip club and Booby Trap.

The women told detectives that Garcia established a quota for them each day and took their money at the end of the workday.

Police said Garcia threatened to hurt them if they did not comply.

Garcia remains at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

For T.Y.  Hilton Sr., his mother's gravesite has been a place of refuge and hope.

"Sometimes when I'm feeling down, I can talk to mom," said Hilton, father and former coach of the Indianapolis Colts star wide receiver of the same name. "Reliving the old times when I was coming up, making believe hearing her voice talking back to me, 'I'm proud of you.'"

But Sunday he said he was told by the manager at Dade Memorial Park cemetery that there had been a terrible mistake: Lula Mae Hilton, who died in 2007, wasn't really buried where they had been led to believe she was buried.

"They told me they were moving the headstone," he said. "When they called me, I relived everything again. How could this happen?"

Hilton was told that his mother's gravestone would have to be moved because someone else actually owned that plot and would have to be buried there. So where was his mother?

Hilton said Debbie Ramirez, a manager with Caballero Rivero Cemeteries and Funeral Homes, told him that his mother was actually buried in the plot directly to the right of the one where he had been visiting.

Yet Hilton said he clearly remembers the grave being dug in that spot and watching his mother's casket being lowered into it. He said the plot to the right, where the cemetery is telling him his mother is located, has remained undisturbed all those years.

"They dug the hole right here, so I don't know what's going on," he said. "They dug the hole right here and put the headstone right here so how did she get [in the plot nearby]?"

When questioned, Ramirez refused to answer any questions but said they would be forthcoming from the corporation. But calls went unanswered and a spokeswoman issued a terse and evasive email.

"We are currently working the family to rectify the situation," she wrote. "We will not discuss the matter out of respect and privacy to the families we serve."

Hilton said he has little trust in what he's being told and plans to return to the cemetery on Tuesday with his attorney to try to get some kind of assurance about where his mother is actually buried.

"It doesn't make any sense," he said. "It still doesn't add up."

The United States needs to return the territory in Guantanamo, Cuban President Raul Castro said Monday during his address at the United Nations.

Castro said the U.S. also needs to end the embargo against Cuba. The role of the UN is not only to save humanity from war. It is also to save the world from famine.

Cuba supports "an international order that is more just and equitable," Castro said.

Global warming needs to be addressed, Castro said. He said climate change hurts smaller countries in Africa. They also need better treatment, more access to technology and better financial options.

"We support African countries and demand fair treatment for them," he said.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on Castro

Colonialists, he said, need to stop meddling with independent countries, as is the case in Venezuela. Castro said Cuba will always support and offer solidarity to Hugo Chavez's successor Nicolas Maduro.

"Puerto Rico deserves to be free and independent," Castro said.

Cuba, he said, is also supportive of Argentina's claim on the Falkland Islands, also known as the Malvinas.

Other issues at the center of this week's discussions include the refugee and migrant crisis, the largest since the upheaval of World War II.

Follow Local10.com reporter Andrea Torres @MiamiCrime

A man is dead after being hit by a Tri-Rail train on Tuesday morning in Dania Beach, according to a Tri-Rail spokeswoman.

The crash happened along Ravenswood Road and SW 31st St around 6 a.m. Train service is suspended in the area from the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport station to the next station in Fort Lauderdale.

Tri-Rail has set up a bus bridge between the two stations, but they are asking that people seek another mode of transportation.

Stay with Local10 and Local10.com for updates.

Sunday evening's supermoon led to tidal flooding along South Florida's coastline.

Indian Creek Drive was shut down for hours Monday morning at 33rd Street in Miami Beach Monday morning because of severe flooding.

Residents who were trying to get to work or class said they were frustrated because they had to find a way around the water.

"I just feel bad for the residents in the building that have to commute to work and back. I mean, the cars get ruined," Miami Beach resident Estrella Lima said.

Miami Beach is currently in the early stages of a $400 million project that will help prevent flooding . In fact, part of the city already has pumps to help with the issue, but there are still some parts of the beach where there's a lot of flooding.

The five-year storm water pump program is expected to bring 50 new pumps and major relief for some of the hardest hit areas.

Fort Lauderdale Beach also saw its share of flooding. Another high tide is expected Monday evening.

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The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded about 1,100 kilograms of cocaine and more than 4,000 pounds of marijuana Tuesday in Miami Beach.

The drugs are estimated to be valued at about $41 million and were intercepted in the Caribbean Sea.

Coast Guard officials said the marijuana was seized Sept. 20 after a Coast Guard plane spotted a suspicious go-fast boat in the water southeast of Isla Saona, Dominican Republic.

The Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon intercepted the boat. Officials said the suspected smugglers tossed some of the drugs overboard.

Forty-nine bales of marijuana were recovered, and three suspects were taken into custody.

"This is a record year for the Coast Guard," Capt. Melissa Bert, chief of staff for the Coast Guard Seventh District, told Local 10 News. "We have seized more vessels. We have arrested more suspects. We've had more cases than ever in our history."

Since October 2014, the Coast Guard has seized about $4.3 billion worth of cocaine, the most since 2008, and has caught nearly 500 suspected smugglers for prosecution.

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Todd Bachman, the father of the bride at his daughter Brittany's wedding, made an amazing gesture during the ceremony.

He brought the entire wedding to a halt to bring Brittany's stepfather in, so the two men could both accompany their daughter down the aisle.

Photos posted of the wedding show the moment, which had the entire ceremony in tears.

The Facebook post read: “Todd reached out his hand and grabbed Brittany’s stepfather and pulled him down the aisle to walk their daughter down the aisle together. NOT A DRY EYE at the ceremony… including me!”

She added: “Families are what we make them… make it about your kids and not your ego.

“Congratulations Todd Bachman on showing your kids what true love really is…love for your children.”

Pictures: Delia D Blackburn - DeliasPhotos.com

POST

South Daytona police arrested a man who they say threatened his mother by firing a shotgun near her and threatening to kill her kitten after an argument over chores.

Stewart Butler, 27, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and discharging a firearm in public in the Tuesday incident.

Police said Butler went into his sleeping mother's room and started arguing about house chores.

According to the report, Butler then grabbed the kitten and threw it against the wall, saying "i'll cut it in half and make you eat it," then pointed the shotgun and fired a round off into the ground.

When police arrived, Butler told them his mother was trying to get him in trouble. Butler was arrested and booked into Volusia County Jail on no bond. Animal cruelty charges are pending.

Sunday evening's supermoon is causing the second day of high tides along South Florida's coastline.

"I've been here for 20 years and this is the worst it's ever been," a Miami Beach resident said.

"It's horrible, it's horrible, but what can you do? Can you control mother nature?" added resident Estrella Lima.

Cars trudged through the flooded roads Tuesday morning along Indian Creek Drive starting at 31st Street, up about 10 blocks.

Las olas

lasting king tide effects

Sky 10 flew overhead as people in the area tried to get to higher ground.

The city of Miami Beach spent $400 million on new pumps to avoid severe flooding, but some residents aren't convinced the pumps made a difference.

"How are the pumps doing?" Local 10 News reporter Ben Kennedy asked.

"You're picking up the water from the street and putting it back in the canal, which is already overflowed. It doesn't make any sense," Lima said.

Flooding was also reported Tuesday on Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Follow Ben Kennedy on Twitter @BenKennedyTV

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

A Broward County sheriff's spokeswoman confirmed vehicle wraps featuring a large image of Sheriff Scott Israel, which cost taxpayers $12,500 in total to cover five Ford Focus vehicles, have been removed.

The move came days after a Local 10 News report on the cars in which one of Israel's opponents, retired BSO Sgt. Willie Jones, condemned them as a campaign ploy financed by the public.

The wrap was removed because of design and workmanship issues, according to spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright. The sheriff refused a request for comment.  

"That was a smart move to take them off," Jones said. "I think it was incorrect to put them on there."

Jones likened the vehicles to rolling campaign ads paid for by the BSO.

"Being an election year, [Israel is] going to use his office to promote himself, which I believe is ethically incorrect," Jones said.

Broward Collision was paid $2,500-a-car for wrapping the vehicles. Elections office records show that just days before the work had begun Israel accepted $2,000 in campaign contributions tied to Broward Collision, including $1,000 from the business and another $1,000 in the name of a relative of owner Keith Petron.

When Local 10 News reporter Bob Norman paid a visit to the company, an employee said there was no comment.

"You would have to talk to BSO," the employee said. "But nothing is supposed to be out."

"Nothing is supposed to be out? What does that mean?" Norman asked.

"Can't talk about nothing," the employee said.

"I question it," Jones said of the political contributions. "I question the ethics of it, I question the timing of it, I question the people involved in it."

Coleman-Wright said a new design for the cars has not yet been finalized.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10